TFM Interlude

From the diary of Mikera D’Williams, as translated from Russian.

After what happened with Bertrand, we went to a hotel in Paris. Drake was still very pensive. His father knew who we were, and I could tell that bothered him. A lot. He brought in a manilla folder, and showed us its contents. He is wearing the signet ring that was amongst the items now. My first task was to decrypt that DVD Jean sent us.

That wasn’t very hard. It turns out Jean wants us to know about him. The papers he sent was his full Scotland Yard and Interpol dossier. When he said he was wanted, he meant every word. The charges against him included murder, arson, piracy, firearms smuggling…it reads like a laundry list of every major felony imaginable. I am in the process of reviewing who he has killed. But that will take me a while. His first known murder was a Catholic priest, a father Pierrot Sebastian, in his own confession booth, with a fencing saber through the screen.

But prior to that, he already had a syndicate going. He almost dropped off the radar until he killed that priest. Up to that point, he robbed a lot of people, sure, but he never killed anyone. So what did that priest do that pissed off Jean so completely?

I think I am going to make Jean explain it all in person. He did say he’d contact us when we get back to Saint-Jouin-Burneval. And I don’t know about anyone else, but I think Drake deserves for his father to explain it all to him in person.

I will admit, I am starting to worry about Drake. First, the Bloodies decide to try to kill him for no apparent reason. Then we recruit him and he has to learn all of his skills from us because we have no time to get him into training. Then, we find out his father is a crime lord of sorts, which would be a big shock to ANYONE. And the motive, as we discovered inside the base? They were trying to kill Drake to get to his father.

Then there is the fact that the leadership doesn’t approve. From the recording of the convo Jo had with “that woman,” our boss was NOT happy. And on top of all this, someone who isn’t “that woman” has been calling the shots lately. All my attempts to find out who had failed. Now I am even more stressed.

Jo made an ultimatum. If Drake is kicked out, ‘that woman’ will need a new team. That has me more than a little nervous, given what level of authority our boss happens to have. Truth is, if she throws Drake out, she will have to do the same with me. My old man is not exactly innocent himself, and our leader is being a hypocrite if she wants Drake gone and not me as well.

I am feeling down. I mean, basically, we’re not just taking on the Blood Moon, we’re taking on the leadership. And we don’t even know who this girl is that is leading us! I think Drake noticed, because he is approaching me.

Oh. My. God. He has told me, Sam, and Jo that we’ll be taking a day or two out on the town in Paris! He just handed me a ticket to a showing of “Les Miserables,” IN PARIS! I do NOT know how he got his hands on these tickets, but at this point, I don‘t care! Oh my God, I LOVE Les Mis! And we’ll get to see it, in Paris, and be in front stage, with Drake showing us some of the sights where the story took place!

In his own words, “I wish to spoil all of you rotten, for taking me in. Zis is ze least I can do! Et besides, we need to celebrate somehow, n’est-ce pas?” Samantha seemed happy to. She was rather upset that she didn’t get to shoot her rifle. That and Josephine is still flustered from the events of earlier in the evening. She says she doesn’t like him, but did she think I didn’t notice him staring at that butt of his?

Me and the girls are talking it over. We have each decided to not only buy dinner, but to take Drake clothes shopping. I looked into his backpack. He didn’t have that many clothes. He had what he could fit into his backpack, and a small satchel that had been on his bike. That and the clothes Regina made for him. Me and the girls took one look at that wardrobe and decided it would not do.

Josephine called around on the sly, and figured out where some boutiques are, SAFELY free from Regina, of course. I don’t know why, but when Regina started making moves on Drake, I got pissed off. And I wasn’t the only one. I was surprised when the other girls got pissed with her too. I can’t be falling for him…I mean, I don’t exactly swing his way, but…why do I blush when he walks in on me working on my tech?

As to Jean-Michael, he has left a lot of questions unanswered. Maybe when we meet with the man, he will answer them in person. He’d better. He hasn’t been in Drake’s life in so long. I know all too well what that is like.

I am off for now. In the morning, we drag Drake all over Paris. I will write the results later. All the same, I hope Drake will be okay